Maintenance/Warranty Question

[Buzzrush]

Hey everyone! After reading several posts regarding Stinger owners experiences with dealership service centers, I'm absolutely terrified to bring my car into Kia for service. From curbed rims, scratches, oil alllll over the engine bay, cars sitting outside for days with the hood open and birds crapping all over the engine, lies and deceit, don't give a crapness, and just an overall lack of knowledge regarding the workings of our cars. I understand that all dealerships are different and I know some people on here have had positive experiences. To me it's not worth the anxiety. Sorry if I seem like a close-minded prick but I care too much about my car to hand the keys over to someone who couldn't care less. I have a great mechanic I've used for years that I trust and he has been doing all of my maintenance work. Yes I do keep all the paperwork for proof. My car won't see the inside of a Kia service center unless it's ABSOLUTELY necessary i.e warranty work.

My question is, is there a reference guide of services Kia recommends be done and when they should be done to keep the warranty in tact? Things like At 15000 miles have this checked...At 25000 miles have THIS changed etc. If there is a said list, does Kia have to be the ones to perform these services or can my guy do them? I've been through the owners manual and I didn't see anything that was clear cut. Maybe I missed it...been known to do that lol. If someone can steer me in the right direction I'd appreciate it! Thanks everyone and I hope you all had a great New Year!

 

[SafetyPilotCal]

The owners manual covers the complete maintenance schedule for both normal and "severe" duty use. Save receipts from oil changes. Anecdotal, but I've never heard of any manufacturer attempting to void a warranty for not producing proof of "inspections".

 

[Buzzrush]

Shoot I did miss it then lol Ok thank you! I thought maybe the car would tell me when its due it does everything else. Appreciate it!

 

[GenesisG70]

Don't be anxious find a reputable Stealer, not all Stealers are bad. Mine does a great job so far.

 

[Buzzrush]

Oh definitely. I'm sure there are very good Kia service centers out there. As you know, many people on this site have had good experiences but some of those horror stories...yikes. If anyone knows a good Kia service center in the Chicagoland area please let me know. I just haven't owned a car like this before and I'm being protective. Probably overly so lol. I did the first service at the dealer at 1800 miles and didn't have a great experience but as long as I can do all the recommended maintenance with my regular mechanic then I'm good.

 

[Legendsk]

I got a new 1966 Corvette. Chevrolet had the same issues. Generally poor training to begin with. Low wages and poor management made it unlikely to encounter a service person that anyone with a Corvette would trust. In 1966 it was much easier for owners to DIY and hardly anyone with a Corvette would allow a dealer to touch their car - which meant few people at the dealer ever worked on any. And the end result was because no problems were reported by the dealers. factory problems were not discovered and most Corvettes had at least several of the list of problems. 4 out of 5 would have the radiator hose on upside down, so it rubbed on the hood and wore a hole in it. There were a couple dozen problems like that and every car would have 5 to 10 of the problems from that list, because the factory never learned of them.

Hopefully, Kia will not have that as badly because DIY isn't as easy now and for many things there isn't much choice except go to the dealer. And so they will get the experience of working on Stingers and problems will be reported back to the factory.

I strongly urge owners to do their best to develop a good relationship with their dealer and work with them. Try to help them improve and develop a service reputation that will be suitable for such a wonderful car.

 

[Buzzrush]

I got a new 1966 Corvette. Chevrolet had the same issues. Generally poor training to begin with. Low wages and poor management made it unlikely to encounter a service person that anyone with a Corvette would trust. In 1966 it was much easier for owners to DIY and hardly anyone with a Corvette would allow a dealer to touch their car - which meant few people at the dealer ever worked on any. And the end result was because no problems were reported by the dealers. factory problems were not discovered and most Corvettes had at least several of the list of problems. 4 out of 5 would have the radiator hose on upside down, so it rubbed on the hood and wore a hole in it. There were a couple dozen problems like that and every car would have 5 to 10 of the problems from that list, because the factory never learned of them.

Hopefully, Kia will not have that as badly because DIY isn't as easy now and for many things there isn't much choice except go to the dealer. And so they will get the experience of working on Stingers and problems will be reported back to the factory.

I strongly urge owners to do their best to develop a good relationship with their dealer and work with them. Try to help them improve and develop a service reputation that will be suitable for such a wonderful car.

Yeah Legend I guess that's true. I gotta admit I never thought about it from that angle I wonder how many C8 owners will use Chevy service centers.

 

[Nasscar]

Oh definitely. I'm sure there are very good Kia service centers out there. As you know, many people on this site have had good experiences but some of those horror stories...yikes. If anyone knows a good Kia service center in the Chicagoland area please let me know. I just haven't owned a car like this before and I'm being protective. Probably overly so lol. I did the first service at the dealer at 1800 miles and didn't have a great experience but as long as I can do all the recommended maintenance with my regular mechanic then I'm good.

I know how you feel. I have to take mine in for its 10000km service and I am nervous about it. I don't have an independent mechanic to rely on so it will be going to Kia I remember taking my brand new Toyota 86 in for its first service and ending up with a nice deep scratch across the bonnet which they never told me about. It ruins the the experience of having a new car. Fingers crossed the Kia dealer is one of the better ones.

 

[Buzzrush]

I remember taking my brand new Toyota 86 in for its first service and ending up with a nice deep scratch across the bonnet which they never told me about.

ughhhhhh...yeah nightmare. Good Luck!

 

[Helo58]

Try to help them improve and develop a service reputation that will be suitable for such a wonderful car.

I WANT to agree with the idea or sentiment even if I find it a tad bit misguided or naive. Many shops have the skill, morals, and ethics of the showroom floor and no amount of effort on my part will change that. Of course I will assist and inform where possible, but at the end of the day, it will be economic forces that I believe will motivate a dealer to develop and improve their service reputation, not infrequent and/or sporadic visits by those experiencing problems. If workers don't take pride in their jobs or have the necessary skills to perform well, all of my good intentions will come up meaningless. Talent development was not on listed on my lease agreement, so I am taking the "not my circus, not my monkeys" approach.

 

[eflyguy]

it will be economic forces that I believe will motivate a dealer to develop and improve their service reputation

You're technically correct, but unfortunately (for the informed) there are enough owners out there that blindly bring their vehicles in to be ripped off for regular services, because that's what they think has to be done. As a result, there's enough business that the majority - not all, I admit - don't feel any need to change.

I even *tried* to use a dealer for my free first oil change and inspection on my 2015 Sorento. I spent 15 minutes wandering around the service reception area, watching employees chat in their fishbowl offices and miserable customers sit in the waiting room with the smell of burned cheap coffee and the screech of daytime tv.

I'm up to about 35 years of vehicle ownership (typically 3-5 at a time) and I've had to suffer dealer service departments three times, as best as I can remember - all due to failures covered by warranty or recall.

To the OP, find a local shop with a good reputation, which isn't hard to determine with Google maps reviews and Yelp. Keep your receipts. Save the inconvenience.

 

[Capital AL]

Oh definitely. I'm sure there are very good Kia service centers out there. As you know, many people on this site have had good experiences but some of those horror stories...yikes. If anyone knows a good Kia service center in the Chicagoland area please let me know. I just haven't owned a car like this before and I'm being protective. Probably overly so lol. I did the first service at the dealer at 1800 miles and didn't have a great experience but as long as I can do all the recommended maintenance with my regular mechanic then I'm good.

I would like to know some good dealers and service centers in the Chicago areas as well since I will be purchasing a stinger in the upcoming future.

 

[Silvermanor]

For the most part I dont think the dealerships are being purposefully malicious with cars. I would say they are more likely just being negligent in many of the cases we all experience with them where damage or oversight happens. They see lots and lots of cars and I can imagine how they can become desensitized to caring for them like some of us owners do. That said, I am never happy to hand any of my cars over to anyone. Its your job as a consumer to find an alternative if you feel that the service is poor at the dealership (Keep in mind that dealership quality of service can vary depending on who worked on your car and how they were feeling that day). Its just part of the game.

 

[MerlintheMad]

OP: Your trusted mechanic can do all maintenance work at the prescribed miles. And you will have documentation equal to that of any Kia dealership provided service. Kia only cares about following the maintenance schedule, they don't care who carries out that maintenance. It's all about documentation. The one advantage I can see from using Kia dealerships for regular maintenance is the instant access to that documentation; you don't have to bring in your receipts or forward anything to Kia for verification to obtain warranty work.

 

[Blingen]

I am not impressed with my dealer. My temp tag had 4 days left before it expired. Weekly calls then daily calls ...its in the mail....they told me it was done and just waiting on it. I said then why is DE DMV saying they do not have the paperwork when I log into their site. Silence. Two days before the tag was to expire the DMV showed paperwork submitted. 5pm on day it expires I am at the dealer waiting for the courier to return. First appointment to get remote start installed and they ran over a screw and gave the car a flat. Said they could get a tire in a couple days. Told them they have 3 choices. Take a wheel off of one of the 5 new ones that they are unloading behind the garage, go get four new tires in a different brand, or drive 30 minutes to the tire rack.com that allows instant pickup after purchase. Had a new tire in 3 hours.

Then have been in for 3 oil changes so far. Each time tell them when they rotate the tires to set correct air pressure. Each time they are completely wrong and not even close. Then they tell me there is a shudder when braking during the test drive. Ok. Schedule service. Earliest time they have is 3 weeks out for service. OR drop off the car for a week and they will see IF they can work it in. Kia really needs to come up with a better service model. My previous car brand was phenomenal for their service shop policy of say yes or say give me a minute to see what we can do instead of just saying no. Rant over. Love the car.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I am not impressed with my dealer.

My dealer hasn't behaved like that. Hopefully Kia Corp. can find a way to winnow the crappy service experience out of their dealerships network.

 

[Nasscar]

My dealer hasn't behaved like that. Hopefully Kia Corp. can find a way to winnow the crappy service experience out of their dealerships network.

Winnow - (verb) blow a current of air through (grain) in order to remove the chaff.

 

[stung cb]

You can also use a Hyundai dealer for routine maintenance. I believe there are more of them than KIA dealers. Don't they for the most part have the same powertrain components?

 

[G70 Owner]

You can also use a Hyundai dealer for routine maintenance. I believe there are more of them than KIA dealers. Don't they for the most part have the same powertrain components?

Ummm this isn’t how this works. They share parts but are 2 totally separate companies and you cannot take your Kia to a Hyundai dealer for any warranty or maintenance plan work

 

[stung cb]

Ummm this isn’t how this works. They share parts but are 2 totally separate companies and you cannot take your Kia to a Hyundai dealer for any warranty or maintenance plan work

Hey G70 Owner, I did not say for warranty or maintenance "plan". I said for "routine maintenance like oil/filter change, air filter change, cabin filter change, etc., etc. I've been using KIA and Hyundai for such service for my KIA's and my Hyundai's since 2012. Many of their components are compatible. I use them both for either vehicle.

I own a 2020 Stinger GT2 AWD stock but I also love the G70. Almost bought it instead but it is a bit on the small side. 10 Cu ft. trunk is not so good for road trips.